Snow is piling up outside and as the plows keep the streets of our little town clear, I listen to the back-up beeping and try to keep busy inside the house.
January has a slower pace and usually offers me a bit more time to read and I don?t want to venture too far from home. Once I?ve combed the local stores for post-Christmas deals I find myself Internet shopping. Shipping isn?t always quick, especially from the United States and I?m still waiting for my last Christmas present, probably sitting somewhere in a customs warehouse.
One of my greatest weaknesses is books and I?m eternally grateful we have a library just a few blocks away. I can even order books online and now that the provincial library network is connected, the waiting lists for the titles I want seems to have grown shorter. I also have an electronic book reader and can have bestsellers and classics delivered in seconds right to the device. It is great for busting boredom, shopping with reviews, quick splurges and reading free sample chapters since I can?t hold the book and flip through the pages before taking it home.
I still buy real paper books, though. I buy them online, I pick them up at garage sales and I love spending time in bookstores. This week I received an invitation to a book swap. The description asks guests to bring books they can bear to part with that others may want to read, put them in a big pile in the living room, choose books you would like to read and enjoy a coffee and conversation. What a great idea.
I started going through my stacks and shelves and boxes of books and my biggest problem seems to be finding books I can bear to let go. I like the idea, because I love books, but it also appeals to my desire to be environmentally friendly and my desire to be friendly to other people. Even though I?m finding it hard to find titles I can let go of, especially those others may be interested in reading I?m also finding myself drawn to start a New Year with a little bit of de-cluttering.
I have more boxes and shelves I can dive into and I may find more books to give away as I sort. I have until Saturday to make what really are simple decisions and I?m looking forward to the experience and something new to occupy my imagination, if the weather gets colder and snowier.
